Output power enhancement of a bifacial solar photovoltaic with upside down installation during module defects

A bifacial solar photovoltaic (PV) module performs worse if it has any faults that reduce output power, shorten its lifetime, or raise safety and reliability issues. Since they work in constantly changing environments, the PV modules may have a variety of defects, including glass breakage, soiling, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) delamination, discoloration, fractures, corrosion, and hotspots. Thermal stress, photo-thermal deterioration, aging, transportation, dust buildup, bird droppings, and partial shadowing by trees, tall structures, or objects are a few of the potential causes. It is necessary to employ appropriate diagnostic techniques or design modifications to eliminate the negative effects of these faults. In this work, the performance of an n-type passivated emitter rear totally diffused (PERT) module is analyzed during faults that reduce the transparency of front glass cover and restrict the level of solar irradiance. The faults such as dust accumulation, glass breakage, EVA delamination, discoloration, and micro cracks are taken into account for the analysis. To overcome the output power reduction brought on by these defects, a new installation method called upside down installation is proposed that enhances the output power. Overall, depending on the fault cases, the proposed upside down installation method enhances the output power by up to 67% when compared to the normal installation method. •Bifacial solar PV module generates power through direct and reflected irradiances.•The performance of the module degrades with faults that affect solar irradiance.•Upside down installation is proposed to enhance its output power during faults.•Faultless rear side faces upward and receives direct irradiance for better output.•The proposed method enhances the output power by 16–67% for different cases.